Class of 2026 Senior Projects

Seniors had the opportunity to work on their projects solo or in peer groups, which sparked collaboration and invited diverse perspectives. Approximately thirty projects will be completed, centered on themes such as community engagement, preparing for the future, phlebotomy, wilderness conservation, and other enlightening topics. 

“My hope is that seniors used the time given to them during Senior Projects to reflect on their educational journeys,” said Program Manager Rachel Ladd. “They have this opportunity to give back to the communities that supported and shaped them along the way. This year’s Senior Project cohort shows us that if you empower students to design, create, and implement their very own projects, they can make a huge impact.” 

Upper School student Annika C. '26 decided to center her Senior Project on Methow Campus Community Engagement and Stewardship. Her passion for volunteering and giving back shines through in this impactful assignment, in which she worked with several organizations in the Methow Valley to strengthen relationships between local businesses and current and future Bush students. 

“Over the course of the week, I have volunteered and met with various organizations, volunteers, and directors about their experience with volunteering in the Methow Valley, and about how Bush students can become more involved in local stewardship,” Annika shared. “After this week, I plan on compiling the information from my interviews and general notes, and will plan out some ways that students can get involved with local organizations.”

Annika will be volunteering and speaking with The Methow Valley Trails Collaborative, Classroom in Bloom, Methow Conservancy, and The Mazama Community Club. These organizations provide several ways to volunteer across a range of types and age groups, diversifying the service opportunities available to students in the Methow Valley. 

 

“For example, the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative facilitates trail work that is accessible for Upper School students,  while Classroom in Bloom provides gardening opportunities that younger kids can be a part of,” Annika explained.

 

Visiting the Methow Campus has been a highlight of Annika’s time as Bush, and through her project, she exercises her ability to establish rapport through effective communication and collaboration. Cultivating community at Bush encourages students to lead with empathy as they forge connections between ideas and people, and Annika masterfully embodies this value through her Senior Project.

 

“My Senior Project has set me up for future success in many ways,” Annika said. “Through my volunteer work, I have both learned practical skills and pushed myself out of my comfort zone by interviewing organization leaders and volunteers.”

Student filmmakers unite! For Dylan S. '26 and Measles V. '26’s Senior Project, Future Seattle Filmmakers Festival, they are hosting a student-led film festival on Sunday, May 31, to showcase the hard work of Upper School filmmakers at Bush and around Seattle and give them recognition for their creations. After receiving the idea from Lower School parent and film writer/director Dan Brown, they worked with him to plan the festival from start to finish, including booking the Central Cinema, networking with local businesses, and reaching out to other established members of the filmmaking industry for guidance. The judges at the student film festival will be Ben Weber '90, Ian Andreen '12, and Dan Brown, who are all established members of the filmmaking industry and the Bush community. 

“We wanted this to be a student-led and focused event that centered on community building,” Measles said. “Not just in our community, but students can talk and meet with students who are interested in filmmaking from other schools.” 

After graduation, Dylan hopes to study filmmaking, applying the fundamentals he’s absorbed during his Senior Project and from subject matter experts to his college studies. 

“I’m actually going to school for film, and so being able to organize a film event is huge for me because I can put it on my resume,” Dylan said.

Measles, who has been interested in a career in event planning, has gained significant experience in community outreach and partnership building through this project and is excited to apply what she’s learned after high school. Both students honed their innate ability to cultivate partnerships and create marketing materials to spread the word about the upcoming festival. 

“We received films from Bush students and students from other schools,” Dylan shared. “Upper School Art Faculty Marilyn Smith also sent us a slide deck of student films for us to review, and Alumni and Donor Relations Manager Tiffany Kirk connected us with some alums who will be judges at the festival.” 

The film festival will conclude with an award ceremony for students and an engaging Q&A with the judges.

 

“I think film needs more voice at Bush, and this project highlights all of the awesome work student filmmakers have done,” Measles said. “It’s really cool to not only see these films, but support the students behind them.”

To RSVP for the Future Seattle Filmmakers Festival on Sunday, May 31, from 12:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m., click here.

 

Several seniors also raised awareness among student-led organizations and affinity groups available on campus, including Upper School students Nyomi B. '26 and Ligaya S. '26, both leaders of the Blazers of Color affinity group. 

“Ligaya and I know how important confidence and leadership are for young girls of color as they prepare for their next chapter, whether that is middle school, high school, or beyond,” said Nyomi. “We both recognize how much of a difference it makes when young students feel confident in who they are and feel encouraged to use their voice. The purpose of this project is to create a space where they feel seen, supported, and empowered to step into leadership and confidence in their own lives.”

For Nyomi and Ligaya’s Senior Project, Empowering Young Women: Strong in Our Skin, they’re spreading messages of confidence and leadership through hands-on workshops at St. Therese Catholic Academy and Leschi Elementary. At St. Therese, students will create skits showing what leadership looks like in different situations. At Leschi,  they’ll partner with the Melanin Poppin Literacy Group, a Seattle-based organization for young girls of color that explores topics of identity, strength, and leadership through literacy, poetry, and workshops that help students discover their voices.

“We want the students to learn through fun, engaging, and interactive activities rather than just lectures,” Ligaya said. “We hope these workshops continue to inspire confidence and leadership long after we are done, and that the schools may continue using these ideas to support students as they transition into new chapters of their lives.”